Lost in the Phillies latest surge is the scuffling play of Shane Victorino. The usually reliable hole hitter is mired in a .231 May. It doesn’t seem as bad as Jimmy Rollins (who hasn’t even hit over .231 for the season yet), so we haven’t paid much attention to the Flyin’ Hawaiian. Still, his slump is starting to rear its head.
There is hope, however, just by looking at Victorino’s past.
Last season Victorino alternated his play by month. April was bad (.239), May was good (.322), June was bad (.235), July was good (.333), August was bad (.262), September was good (.344). Moreover, he improved as the season progressed. More reps meant better results. In April 2009 Victorino hit .286.
The precedent for his alternating play isn’t strong. 2007 showed he worked in longer stretches (he played his best in July and August). 2006 is too spotty since he platooned most of the season. Nevertheless, there’s an indicator Vic’s turnaround is right around the corner.
Tim MalcolmTim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.
